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Abstract. Background:. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of highly invasive breast cancer with a poor prognosis. According to new research, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a significant role in the progression of cancer. Although the role of lncRNAs in breast cancer has been well reported, few studies have focused on TNBC. This study aimed to explore the biological function and clinical significance of forkhead box C1 promoter upstream transcript (FOXCUT) in triple-negative breast cancer. Methods:. Based on a bioinformatic analysis of the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database, we detected that the lncRNA FOXCUT was overexpressed in TNBC tissues, which was further validated in an external cohort of tissues from the General Surgery Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. The functions of FOXCUT in proliferation, migration, and invasion were detected in vitro or in vivo. Luciferase assays and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were performed to reveal that FOXCUT acted as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for the microRNA miR-24-3p and consequently inhibited the degradation of p38. Results:. lncRNA FOXCUT was markedly highly expressed in breast cancer, which was associated with poor prognosis in some cases. Knockdown of FOXCUT significantly inhibited cancer growth and metastasis in vitro or in vivo. Mechanistically, FOXCUT competitively bounded to miR-24-3p to prevent the degradation of p38, which might act as an oncogene in breast cancer. Conclusion:. Collectively, this research revealed a novel FOXCUT/miR-24-3p/p38 axis that affected breast cancer progression and suggested that the lncRNA FOXCUT could be a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Rice is one of the important cereal crops in the world, and its yield and quality have always been the focus of breeders, which are related to global food security and human health. Rice grain type, mainly includes grain length, grain width and grain thickness, is an important quantitative trait controlled by multiple genes, and it not only directly affects rice yield, but is also closely related to rice quality. A good understanding of the formation and regulation mechanism of grain type will help to further increase rice yield per plant and improve rice quality. The development of molecular biology and the study of genomics have brought new changes to the exploration of the internal regulation mechanism of rice. A large number of quantitative trait locus (QTL) of rice grain type have been successfully identified and analyzed, and the functions of genes related to them have been verified. So far, several pathways regulating grain type have been identified, such as ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway, G protein signaling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, transcription factor regulation pathway, plant hormone pathway and MiRNA-related pathways. However, the regulatory network of grain type is extremely complex, and the mechanisms of the upstream and downstream regulatory components of many genes are still unclear, and there are even some cross interactions among the pathways that affect grain type. This review discussed the research progress of genes related to different signaling pathways affecting rice grain type and the interaction between key grain type genes, summarized the application of grain type genes in breeding in recent years, and proposed to analyze the regulation mechanism of rice grain type with multi-omics, with an aim to better serve the molecular design and breeding and provide support for the development of new high-yield and high-quality rice breeding.

Background: Breast cancer (BRCA) ranks first among cancers in terms of incidence and mortality rates in women, primarily owing to metastasis, chemo-resistance, and heterogeneity. To predict long-term prognosis and design novel therapies for BRCA, more sensitive markers need to be explored. Methods: Data from 1089 BRCA patients were downloaded from TCGA database. Pearson's correlation analysis and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the role of cell death-related genes (CDGs) in predicting BRCA prognosis. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were generated to compare the overall survival in the two subgroups. A nomogram was constructed using risk scores based on the five CDGs and other clinicopathological features. CCK-8, EdU incorporation, and colony formation assays were performed to verify the inhibitory effect of NFKBIA on BRCA cell proliferation. Transwell assay, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry analyses were performed to ascertain the biological function of NFKBIA. Results: Five differentially expressed CDGs were detected among 156 CDGs. The risk score for each patient was then calculated based on the expression levels of the five CDGs. Distinct differences in immune infiltration, expression of immune-oncological targets, mutation status, and half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of some targeted drugs were observed between the high- and low-risk groups. Finally, in vitro cell experiments verified that NFKBIA overexpression suppresses the proliferation and migration of BRCA cells. Conclusions: Our study revealed that some CDGs, especially NFKBIA, could serve as sensitive markers for predicting the prognosis of patients with BRCA and designing more personalized clinical therapies.

Abstract Background Although neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is currently the best therapy for triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC), resistance still occurs in a considerable proportion, thus it is crucial to understand resistance mechanisms and identify predictive biomarkers for patients selection. Methods Biopsy samples were collected from 21 patients with TNBC who underwent NAC. Whole‐exome sequencing (WES), targeted sequencing, and multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) were carried out on the clinical samples and used to identify and validate potential biomarkers associated with response to NAC. In addition, data on 190 TNBC patients who had undergone chemotherapy were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and analyzed to further validate our findings. Results Both the tumor mutational burden (TMB) and tumor neoantigen burden (TNB) were significantly higher in responders than in non‐responders. Higher response rates and longer survival rates were observed in patients with higher TMB. Patients with higher ratios of CD8 to M2 macrophages had higher response rates and improved survival rates. Finally, the integrated analysis demonstrated that the combination of TMB and the ratio of CD8 T cells to M2 macrophages could further distinguish patients who benefitted from the treatment in both enrolled patients and public data. Conclusions The findings of this study indicated that the combination of TMB and the ratio of CD8 T cells to M2 macrophages may be a potential biomarker for improving the recognition of NAC responders, thereby providing a basis for developing precision NAC regimens.

Hemostatic powder, which can absorb large amounts of water and tends to produce repeated hydration with tissue, has been clinically proven as an ideal engineering material for treating wounds and tissues. We herein designed a polypeptide-based hemostatic powder. A water-soluble polypeptide, γ-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA), was mixed with the polyethyleneimine (PEI), N-hydroxysuccinimide, and 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide. The solution of these polymers was lyophilized to harvest the γ-PGA/PEI powder (PP hemostatic powder). When deposited on a bleeding wound, the PP hemostatic powder can quickly absorb a large amount of blood and interstitial fluid, concentrate coagulation factors, coagulate blood cells, and eventually form a stable mechanical hydrogel. The wound bleeding time of the PP hemostatic powder group was 1.8 ± 0.4 min, significantly lower than that of the commercial chitosan hemostatic powder group (2.8 ± 0.4 min). The PP hemostatic powder was endowed with antioxidant capacity by introducing protocatechuic aldehyde, which can effectively inhibit inflammation and promote wound healing. Therefore, via preparation through a facile lyophilization method, the PP hemostatic powder is expected to find a wide application prospect as a qualified hemostatic powder.

Abstract Background Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC), a heterogeneous subtype of breast cancer (BC), had poor prognosis. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was responsible for cellular processes and played a crucial role in the cell function. ER stress is a complex and dynamic process that can induce abnormal apoptosis and death. However, the underlying mechanism of ER stress involved in TNBC is not well defined. Methods We identified ubiquitin‐specific protease 19 (USP19) as a TNBC negative regulator for further investigation. The effects of USP19 on BC proliferation were assessed in vitro using proliferation test and cell‐cycle assays, while the effects in vivo were examined using a mouse tumorigenicity model. Through in vitro flow cytometric analyses and in vivo TUNEL assays, cell apoptosis was assessed. Proteomics was used to examine the proteins that interact with USP19. Results Multiple in vitro and in vivo tests showed that USP19 decreases TNBC cell growth while increasing apoptosis. Then, we demonstrated that USP19 interacts with deubiquitinates and subsequently stabilises family molecular chaperone regulator 6 (BAG6). BAG6 can boost B‐cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) ubiquitination and degradation, thereby raising ER calcium (Ca2+) levels and causing ER stress. We also found that the N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) “writer” methyltransferase‐like 14 (METTL14) increased global m6A modification. Conclusions Our study reveals that USP19 elevates the intracellular Ca2+ concentration to alter ER stress via regulation of BAG6 and BCL2 stability and may be a viable therapeutic target for TNBC therapy.

Guang 8A is a wild abortion Simiao type male sterile line of indica rice with high quality and high yield, which was developed by crossing the female parent Zengcheng Simiao-8 (a high-quality indica rice possessing relationship with Guangdong wild rice) with the maintainer line 1325B, and then backcrossing with 325A after test-crossing. It was selected by the Rice Research Institute of Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, with the characteristics of good quality, strong combining ability, disease resistance and excellent comprehensive agronomic characters. Since it passed the technical identification of Guangdong Province in 2010, 44 new rice varieties have been approved or authorized by the state and provincial governments in China, including Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan and Sichuan Province (Region). All of these varieties showed the characteristics of high quality, high and stable yield and strong adaptability, fully demonstrating the role of Guang 8A as the "Core Rice of Guangdong". In addition, it was selected as test material and widely applied in the basic theory researches of cultivation and physiology. Among them, Guang 8 you 165, Guang 8 you Jinzhan and Guang 8 you 2168 showed high coordination of abundance, resistance and quality in provincial regional tests and have been selected as the leading agricultural varieties in Guangdong Province for four consecutive years. From 2017 to date, the accumulative promotion area in Guangdong has reached more than 0.26 million hm2, which has extremely important production value in South China and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

BackgroundBreast cancer is becoming a tumor with the highest morbidity rate, and inflammation-induced cell death namely pyroptosis reportedly plays dual roles in cancers. However, the specific mechanism between pyroptosis and the clinical prognosis of breast cancer patients is indistinct. Hence, novel pyroptosis-related biomarkers and their contributing factors deserve further exploration to predict the prognosis in breast cancer.MethodsPearson’s correlation analysis, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were utilized to obtain six optimal pyroptosis-related gene prognostic signatures (Pyro-GPS). The risk score of each breast cancer patient was calculated. Next, a Pyro-GPS risk model was constructed and verified in TCGA cohort (n=1,089) and GSE20711 cohort (n=88). Then analyses of immune microenvironment, genomic variation, functional enrichment, drug response and clinicopathologic feature stratification associated with the risk score of Pyro-GPS were performed. Subsequently, a nomogram based on the risk score and several significant clinicopathologic features was established. Ultimately, we further investigated the role of CCL5 in the biological behavior of MDA-MB-231 cell line.ResultsThe low-risk breast cancer patients have better survival outcomes than the high-risk patients. The low-risk patients also show higher immune cell infiltration levels and immune-oncology target expression levels. There is no significant difference in genetic variation between the two risk groups, but the frequency of gene mutations varies. Functional enrichment analysis shows that the low-risk patients are prominently correlated with immune-related pathways, whereas the high-risk patients are enriched in cell cycle, ubiquitination, mismatch repair, homologous recombination and biosynthesis-related pathways. Pyro-GPS is positively correlated with the IC50 of anti-tumor drugs. Furthermore, comprehensive analyses based on risk score and clinicopathological features were performed to predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients. Additionally, in vitro experiments confirmed that breast cancer cells with high expression of CCL5 had weaker proliferation, invasion and metastasis abilities as well as stronger apoptosis and cell cycle arrest abilities.ConclusionsThe risk score of Pyro-GPS can serve as a promising hallmark to predict the prognosis of BRCA patients. Risk score evaluation may assist to acquire relevant information of tumor immune microenvironment, genomic mutation status, functional pathways and drug sensitivity, and thus provide more effective personalized strategies.

Worldwide, breast cancer is the most common malignancy. LHX2, a member of the LIM homeobox gene family and a transcription factor, plays a crucial role in numerous tumors, but the function of LHX2 in breast cancer progression remains unknown. In this study, we show that LHX2 is upregulated in breast cancer tissues and positively correlated with breast cancer progression. Meanwhile, the clinical characteristics of breast cancer and LHX2 expression showed a strong correlation. GSEA showed that a high LHX2 expression may activate the T-cell activation pathway, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, and apoptosis pathway. Moreover, ssGSEA showed that Th1 cells and Th2 cells had a positive correlation with LHX2 expression in breast cancer. Experiments showed that LHX2 promotes the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assays helped to analyze LHX2-associated immune infiltration in breast cancer. A Western blot assay proved that LHX2 activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and the apoptosis pathway. A TUNEL assay confirmed that LHX2 inhibited apoptosis. Taken together, LHX2 plays a vital role in breast cancer’s progression and prognosis and could be an immune infiltration biomarker for breast cancer, and LHX2 activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and apoptosis pathway in breast cancer.

In recent years, multifunctional hydrogels have received a great deal of attention because they are biocompatible and can mimic the extracellular matrix. Herein, we prepared hydrogels of biocompatible cross-linked networks with photothermal properties. In this study, a chitosan/polyaniline/laponite (COL) hydrogel with photothermal conversion capability was designed. Polyaniline was firstly grafted onto chitosan and its solution was mixed with oxidized dextran, which was then cross-linked into a hydrogel via a Schiff base reaction. Furthermore, an aluminosilicate clay material, laponite (LAP), was incorporated into the hydrogel. The swelling ratio of the COL hydrogel in various solutions was greater than 580%, and it showed good degradation ability (the mass–loss ratio was over 45% after 28 days). This composite hydrogel was demonstrated to have good photothermal conversion properties and biocompatibility at both the cell (cell viability was over 97%) and animal levels. The COL hydrogel showed a photothermal conversion efficiency of 23.7% under the irradiation of a near-infrared laser. Coupled with the osteogenic differentiation-inducing potential of LAP, the COL hydrogel has the potential to kill tumors via hyperthermia or serve as scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration.

With the increasing of space activities and people’s awareness of environmental protection, it is necessary to develop a new non-toxic space propulsion system with high performance. Hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN)/1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium ethylsulfate([Emim][EtSO4]) blend ionic liquid propellant is a potential replacement with non-toxic and high-performance characteristics for hydrazine type liquid propellants, which can be used in both chemical and electrical propulsion system. This paper introduced the thermogravimetric experimental analysis (TGA-DSC) results of HAN/[Emim][EtSO4] ionic liquid propellant with the thermal decomposition and catalytic decomposition process. Its mass-loss process and exothermic process under different reaction conditions at a heating rate of 5K/min~15K/min were studied. Generally, the mass-loss results showed that there were four characteristic stages during the decomposition process of the HAN/[Emim][EtSO4] ionic liquids, which were the evaporation of the water solvent, decomposition of the HAN component, further decomposition of the [Emim][EtSO4], and slow loss of the residual substances. At the same time, two exothermic peaks were observed, which respectively corresponded to the decomposition of HAN and the further decomposition of [Emim][EtSO4]. Using catalyst can significantly reduce the decomposition temperature of the propellant and the residual mass. The contents in this paper proved that this propellant had a good application prospect within the catalytic ignition aerospace thruster.

There are two problems in the quantitative analysis of trace gallium in geological samples by using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Firstly, the usual advantages of having two kinds of digestion methods are irrelevant here because sealed digestion is not appropriate for batch processing samples and an open-system digestion process is a complex procedure. Secondly, the selection of 69Ga or 71Ga and the related interference correction are the main factors leading to low precision. The method based on the characteristic of low content organic matter in normal geology samples and requirements for ICP-MS measurement is improved on and discussed. The four-acid digestion system of HF-HCl-HNO3-HClO4 was conducted to dissolve the samples in a semi-hermetic environment. Adjustment of the heating temperature, acid amounts and ratios can speed up the reaction. The samples with low content organic matter are digested completely in the strong acids solution without ashing. 71Ga with an abundance of 39.9% and an empirical coefficient of 0.005 was selected. The interference of 55Mn16O interference on the 71Ga peak was corrected by 55Mn18O. The accuracy and precision of gallium is within 3%, and the detection limit is 0.06 μg/g. The improved method simplifies the chemical procedure and reduces the cost which is advantageous for batch processing. Moreover, this method is also suitable for other trace elements and rare earth elements.